Garment hanger for luggage cases



Nov. 29, 1949 L. KLEBER GARMENT HANGER FOR LUGGAGE CASES Filed April 4, 1947 Patented Nov. 29, 1 949 2,489,492 GARMENT HANGER ron LUGGAGE CASES Louis Trunk & Bag of Pennsylvania Kleber, Pittsburgh, Pa...

(30., Pittsburgh,

assignor to Kleber Pa., a corporation Application April 4, 1947, Serial No. 739,305

1 Claim.

This invention relates to garment hangers, and more particularly to hangers, for supporting garments in trunks and suitcases.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a garment hanger which is light in weight, which is attractive in appearance, which is s r n and which. when in n rmal p s n. can not become disengaged from the bracket that upp r s it in a lu gage eas e c ding to this inv ntion the b dy f th hanger is formed from a metal blank which may be a solid rod, but, which preferably is a metal tube. The blank is bent to provide a bottom section and a top sectiQn, generally connected by curved end portions. The top section of the body has a substantially straight central portion at the center of which the ends of the blank are brought together. The ends of the blank are enlarged. In the case of a tube this may be done by flaring its ends. A hook member, by which the body of the hanger can be suspended from a suitable support, is mounted on the upper straight portion of the body and is provided with a recess into which the enlarged ends of the blank project laterally. The recess therefore keeps the ends of the blank from being pulled away from each other. The hook member is rotatable around the adjoining portion of theha-nger body so that either end of the hook member, which projects from opposite sides of the top section of the body, may be uppermost. The reason for wanting this construction is that both ends of the hook member are provided with hooks, one being a conventional large hook by which the hanger can be hung on a rod in a bedroom closet. The other hook is smaller and is designed to hook over a bracket in a luggage case, such as a trunk or suitcase, for supporting a garment therein. The form of the small hook is such that when the hanger is suspended in the usual way from such a bracket, the hook can not accidently become disengaged from the bracket. In order to mount the hanger on the bracket or to remove it therefrom, the hook member first must be placed at more or less of a right angle to the position it occupies when in use in the case.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of my hanger with the large hook in its upper position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through an upper wall of a luggage case showing two hangers connected to a supporting bracket thereinfFig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of showing the upper hook raised up against the top wall of the case;

section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1, 5 and. 6 of the top section is straight, and parallel to the bottom section. The ends 2 of the tube are brought substantially together, although not necessarily into contact, at the center of the top section and are flared outwardly.

Extending transversely across the straight top section of the hanger body is a metal plate 3 which has been stamped to form at one end a hook 4 large enough to hook over the usual hanger rod in a bed room closet or the like. The central portion of the plate is curved out of the plane of the rest of the plate so that it will extend about half way around the adjoining portion oi the hanger body as shown in Fig. 2. This curved portion of the plate is provided with a central arcuate recess 6 formed by pressing the plate metal outwardly. To hold the plate in place, a metal clip I is curved around the opposite side of the hanger body and is likewise provided with a central arcuate recess 8.

The end portions of this clip lie flat against the plate and are provided with tabs 9 that extend through holes In (Fig. 5) in the plate and are bent over its opposite side to clamp the clip to the plate. The two recesses 6 and 8 in this hook member cooperate to form an annular recess that receives the flared ends of the tube to keep them from being pulled apart axially and radially. Also, this construction prevents the hook member from moving lengthwise of the hanger body from its central position, but allows the hook member to be rotated around the straight top portion of the body.

The end of the plate opposite large hook 4 is relatively wide, and is provided with an opening l2 which preferably has an outer side wall parallel to the straight portion of the hanger body. The opening shown is rectangular, and the portion of the plate at the left side of the opening has at the end nearest the clip 1 a straight lateral slot l3 extending through it from the outer Fig. '3, an edge of the plate to opening l2. This produces Fig. 5 is an enlarged frag? mentary view of the hook member with part of it removed to reveal the adjoining ends of the hanger body; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal in s; a hanger body is formed from a metal tube '11,,

9. small hook M on the end of the plate, preferably provided with a straight outer end. Both hooks may be stiffened by pressing the metal out of its normal plane to form strengthening ribs l6 and H.

The small hook is for the purpose of supporting the hanger in a luggage case of the type designed to receive garments hung on hangers. Accordingly, attached to the lower surface of the upper wall 20 of such a case are the ends of a hanger bracket. This bracket is formed from a substantially straight bar 2|, preferably rectangular in cross section, having upwardly extending end portions 22 secured to the case by rivets or screws 23. The bar is slightly narrower than the rectangular opening I2 in plate 3, and slightly thinner than the vertical dimension of slot 13. The distance between the slot and the outer end of hook I4 is greater than the distance between bar 2| and the top wall of the case. As a result, if the hanger happens to move toward the top wall of the case, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper end of hook M will strike the case before the slot is at a high enough level to permit it to be moved across the bracket bar to disengage the hook from the bracket. Tilting of the hanger in its own plane will incline slot l3 relative to the bracket bar and thereby make it impossible for the bar-to pass through the slot, even if they are on the same level.

When it is desired to remove the hanger from the bracket, the hanger must be moved to the outer end of the bracket and then the entire hanger, or just the hook member as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2, swung upwardly approximately 90 in order to move hook M up onto the vertical end' portion 22 of the bracket. The hook member then can be moved inwardly to the right as far as necessary to bring the slot l3 into line with the brackets vertical end portion, and then hook I4 can be moved sideways to slip it ofi the bracket. The hanger is applied to the bracket by reversing this operation. As there is practically no likelihood of the hanger ever working itself into the disengaging position shown in Fig. 2, it is safe to assume that the hanger will never accidentally free itself from the bracket.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced ctherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

In a luggage case, the combination with a bracket having a substantially straight bar connected by upwardly extending end portions to the bottom of a top wall of the case, of a garment hanger comprising a body formed from a rodlike metal blank bent to provide a bottom section and a top section, said top section having a substantially straight central portion where the ends of said blank come together, said ends being enlarged, and a normally vertical hook member mounted on said straight portion and provided with a recess receiving said enlarged ends of the blank, said hook member being provided above.

said straight portion with an opening, and the lower end of the portion of the hook member at one side of said opening having a slot extending laterally through it from the outer edge thereof to said opening to form a hook adapted to receive said bar, the distance between said slot and the upper end of said book being greater than the distance between said bar and top wall, whereby said hook must be disposed substantiall perpendicular to an end portion of said bracket to permit said slot to he slipped across said end portion to apply the the bracket.

LOUIS KLEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS hook to or to remove it from Ritter, Jr. June 9, 1942 

